No one grows up with dreams of being an admissions consultant. It’s a career you almost always discover by chance—or even by accident—and usually after a fairly circuitous professional journey. This was certainly true for me; yet from the day I worked with my first MBA candidate in 2007, I knew I had discovered a calling that perfectly matched my background in writing, education, and mentorship.

I’ve been a professional writer for two decades, and have worn nearly every hat in the business. As a journalist, editor, and copywriter, I’ve contributed to numerous publications and websites including Fortune.com, Computer World, City Pages, and The Huffington Post. As an award-winning screenwriter and member of the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA), I’ve sold and optioned feature-length screenplays, screened work at numerous film festivals, and created work that has appeared on PBS, The Cooking Channel, ITVS, The New York Times, and TeenVogue. Finally, I wrote the book on essay writing—literally—through How To Write An Essay, published in 2006 by Spark Publishing. Intended for a high school and college audience, the book sold 16,000+ copies and was included on the Recommended Reading list for several academic institutions. My other published work includes the introduction to the book Film Classics, various short fiction and non-fiction pieces, and a 500-word Yelp! review for the worst burrito ever served in New York City (a city with many bad burritos).

Throughout my career I’ve also looked for opportunities to teach and mentor, given my passion for education and helping people fulfill their career aspirations. In addition to teaching film at Columbia University, I’ve taught English as a Second Language in both in the U.S. and Japan, and spent four years as an adjunct professor teaching writing, editing, and film directing, as well as leading career development seminars.

My career as an admissions consultant began in 2007, when I joined the boutique educational consulting firm Forster-Thomas. My background in screenwriting proved to be the perfect preparation to assist MBA candidates—just like I helped multi-dimensional characters come to life in films, I was able to help intelligent and motivated young professionals express their own complex views, values, and aspirations in structured and compelling essays. During my 7-year tenure at Forster-Thomas, I was promoted to Senior Coach, led the training of new admissions coaches, and became an associate member of the Independent Educational Consultants of America (IECA).

I launched Justin Marshall Consulting with the goal of offering MBA candidates across the globe an unrivaled level of expertise, personalized service, and creative guidance. Over the course of my career, I’ve helped applicants from over a dozen countries across five continents gain acceptance into every one of the Top 20 business schools. My clients’ success at Wharton (85% success rate over 8 years) has led to my nickname, “The Wharton Whisperer.”

I hold a BA from Macalester College, an MFA from Columbia University, and a certification in mixology. I speak mediocre Japanese, make a mean gin & tonic, and play numerous musical instruments. I split my time between New York City and Denver, Colorado.